A Pilgrim Couple in a Landscape (Fragment) 

Editor: Here we have Susanna Duncombe's 'A Pilgrim Couple in a Landscape (Fragment)'. It's a very small ink and wash drawing; the figures look so theatrical! What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, let’s consider the labor involved. Think about the painstaking detail Duncombe achieved on such a small scale. The production of pigments and the paper itself – how did those materials shape the artistic outcome? Editor: That's a great point; I hadn't considered the materials that closely. Curator: And look at the subject matter. What social values were reflected in depicting "pilgrims," and how might the market for such images have influenced Duncombe's choices? Editor: I see. Thinking about the piece in terms of labor and materials gives me a whole new perspective! Curator: Indeed. It moves beyond simple aesthetics and prompts questions about production and consumption.